Cecil Steele arrested for fleeing from a crime and violating a restraining order

Cecil Steele was arrested for felony fleeing after violating a protection order on Hankinson Road.

Tuesday evening, Warren County Sheriff’s officers were called to a man on Hankinson Road who was violating a restraining order.

“On July 16, we received a 911 call from someone in the 2000 block of Hankinson Road, which is in the Jeff Davis community. She reported that someone she had a restraining order against was at her home and requested that officers be dispatched,” said Sheriff Pace. “Officers determined that she did not live there, but was watching over the home of an acquaintance when this individual showed up at the home. Officers were in the area anyway and were dispatched. When dispatched, they did indeed encounter the vehicle matching the description she provided, a green Ford Mustang. He attempted to elude officers, reaching speeds of up to 90 per hour. He attempted to turn west onto Dogwood Road, lost control of the vehicle, jumped out and ran off on foot. The officer, who was behind him, pursued him on foot, but lost sight of him in the dense wooded area.”

The search took a while. “We were there all night Tuesday, using the sheriff’s tracking dog and a county fire department drone that was brought to the scene by Fire Chief Jerry Briggs. All of this was to no avail,” Pace said. “Yesterday around 7 p.m., Sergeant Ray Thompson, Deputy Dusty Keyes, his tracking dog partner and I were searching the area on Hankinson Road when we spotted the suspect in a camper in a trailer at a wild camp in the 600 block of Hankinson Road. Deputy Keyes had made the first contact.”

Steele, 43, was arrested without incident and appeared today before Judge Randy Lewis, who set bail at $5,000. Additionally, Steele was arrested on a warrant out of Bude, Mississippi, for unfinished construction.

Although the protective order was issued by Louisiana, under Mississippi state law, a protective order issued anywhere in the United States is enforceable in Mississippi if one violates it. Mississippi recognizes protective orders issued by other states but does not assume jurisdiction. Steele’s violation here is a misdemeanor charge.

Sheriff Pace clarified, “At no point did we feel that the citizens in that area were in danger. He was there to reconnect with the woman. He ran because he did not want to go to jail. At no point was there any indication that he was armed, but since this was a domestic violence case, we stayed on the case until he was arrested and is now in the Warren County Jail. We appreciate the cooperation of the people in the community as we have received several calls with summonses for him and were able to keep officers in the area to detain him until we could find him and take him into custody.”

“We appreciate the cooperation of the people in the Jeff Davis area,” Pace said.

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